The Ancient One's words left Qin Xiao momentarily stunned.
The Vishanti.
Other extradimensional gods.
The lineage of the Sorcerer Supreme existed to guard Earth's magical dimension from invasion—
and yet his appearance had been interpreted as the arrival of another protective force.
"Are you really not worried," Qin Xiao asked, "that I might actually be an envoy sent by some dark dimensional entity—one of those who constantly seek followers here, like Dormammu and the others?"
His power could have come from something like the Vishanti…
or from one of the dark gods.
Why wasn't she concerned?
The Ancient One smiled faintly.
"There are countless futures," she said. "But in none of them does the power behind you attempt to invade this world.
Which means your source of strength exists merely to contribute to this reality, not to corrupt it."
"My… power doesn't invade?"
Qin Xiao suddenly understood.
Of course—she must have already looked into the future using the Time Stone.
In all those possible futures, she hadn't seen the system that empowered him ever turn against this world.
That was why she believed his strength came from a protective, not a corrosive source.
And she was right—because what stood behind Qin Xiao wasn't a cosmic demon at all…
but the System itself.
The Ancient One nodded slightly. "No. At least, not in any timeline I have witnessed."
She spoke with a quiet confidence born of absolute power.
It reminded Qin Xiao of the way she had handled Stephen Strange—
how she had pushed his soul out of his body with a single touch,
made him witness the terror of the multiverse,
and then coldly expelled him from Kamar-Taj afterward.
I can show you the truth of the universe, she seemed to say, but what you do with it is up to you.
Her words to Qin Xiao now carried a similar undertone—calm, but edged with warning.
"You wield a mysterious power," her eyes seemed to say,
"but know this: you are under my watch.
Should you act recklessly… I will not hesitate to strike."
Qin Xiao understood the message perfectly.
Still, he bowed slightly.
"Master Ancient One, I wish to learn magic from you—if you are willing to teach me."
The Ancient One raised a brow.
"Learn magic?
But you already possess an extraordinary power—one that grants you strength beyond most.
Shouldn't you be focusing on mastering that?
Why seek my teachings as well?"
She was genuinely intrigued by his motive.
Qin Xiao answered truthfully.
"My power is more like that of a mutant. And you know how mutants are treated in this world.
That's why I wish to learn the ways of Kamar-Taj—to hide my identity, to walk among others more freely."
The Ancient One pondered his words for a moment, then shook her head.
"I refuse. You must first come to understand your own strength.
If even you choose to run from what you are—if you will not stand up and fight for your kind—
then your so-called 'Devil Fruit users' will never truly rise."
A direct rejection.
But Qin Xiao had anticipated that.
So he smiled faintly.
"Then… let's make a deal.
I'll offer you several Devil Fruit abilities,
in exchange for you teaching me a few spells."
The Ancient One's brow furrowed slightly.
"A trade?"
In truth, she was curious.
Over her centuries of life, she had seen every kind of power imaginable—
mutant genes, infernal pacts, Asgardian divinity…
Qin Xiao's power wasn't that different on the surface.
Yet the mechanism behind it fascinated her.
How could a single fruit grant such vast, tangible power?
And perhaps… experiencing one of these "fruits" firsthand might even reveal more about this "foreign power" Qin Xiao spoke of.
After all, she herself had once drawn upon Dormammu's darkness to safeguard Earth.
The Sorcerer Supreme was open-minded by necessity.
Now, this offer touched exactly upon her deepest curiosity.
"Very well," she said at last. "I agree.
What kind of Devil Fruits can you provide?"
Qin Xiao finally smiled.
"Master Ancient One, there's one thing I must make clear first—Devil Fruits require compatibility."
"Compatibility?"
"Exactly. Not everyone can consume one.
Just as not everyone can wield magic.
And for now, I've only found one person here whose essence aligns perfectly with a Devil Fruit—"
He met her eyes.
"—you."
As he spoke, ripples shimmered in the air before his palm.
In an instant, three strange fruits appeared—each with odd shapes and swirling, colorful patterns.
"These are the three fruits that match you," Qin Xiao said.
"This one is the Age-Age Fruit.
This one, the Regression Fruit.
And this one, the Wash-Wash Fruit.
Only you can eat one of them.
So tell me, Master Ancient One—"
He smiled, holding them out with both hands.
"Which one will you choose?"